The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 15, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

Latest Posts (page 2)

I’ve got my sights set on some picture book imports today, all three of them originally published in French. Two are by the celebrated author-illustrator Olivier Tallec, and one is by the just-as-celebrated Marianne Dubuc. And all three books are utterly pleasing in many directions.

First up, let’s take a look at Dubuc’s book, which will be on shelves in early August. Mr. Postmouse’s Rounds, originally published in French (Dubuc lives in Quebec), is the type of detailed book that ...

In my quest to discover new and exciting graphic novels to share with you here on the blog, I came across something with familiar themes executed with nice twists and turns that kept me turning the pages. Again, I find myself harvesting from the Image Comics catalog, where owner/creator comics continue to thrive and impress.

The book is Copperhead Volume 1: A New Sheriff in Town. In it, you have those familiar elements I mentioned a second ago; a ...

She’s back! Dory, that is. Last year, author-illustrator Abby Hanlon introduced the busy, bustling world of children’s literature to Dory, one of its most memorable new characters. This first book in a series, Dory Fantasmagory (named a Kirkus Best Book of 2014), was met with uniformly good reviews and garnered legions of fans. I personally keep having to replenish my bookshelf with a copy of this first book in the series, since I like to recommend it to children I ...

Sure, reading fiction stories are fun. Especially science-fiction stories, where readers get to experience space travel, alternate histories, thought-provoking premises regarding technology and how it affects society, and a host of other high-concept ideas. But take a step back. Science fiction as a literary field is interesting, too, as evidenced by the following nonfiction books about different aspects of the genre.

I just can’t help myself. Even though so many interesting new crime and mystery novels are covering bookstore shelves this summer, I find myself regularly seduced away by older works. Vintage volumes that have been out of print for years, penned by all-but-forgotten authors. Books that most modern readers have never heard of and are unlikely to happen across. While I try to keep up with what’s fresh (never an easy duty), I also set aside time to explore fiction ...

There are few stories out there that launch and define an author's entire career, but that's exactly what Ender's Game did for Orson Scott Card when the story was first published by Analog magazine. Since its publication, Ender's Game and its author have found fame even as they’ve experienced contention within the science fiction community.

Orson Scott Card was born on August 24th, 1951, in Richland, Washington, where he grew up in a large family in ...

LATEST RECIPIENT OFTHE KIRKUS STAR

General readers looking for a challenge will love this book and will dive into Blake's work. Many will find him just too far off the beam, but they, too, will enjoy the many color illustrations included in the text.

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